Gas mask canister



Aug. 27, 1946. vw'. 1:. @Ross GAS` MASK CANISTER Filed Feb. 4, 1942 INVENTOR..

lWILL/,4,11 E. GROSS BY am? Q Arrows/Y Patented Aug. 27, 1946 UNITED l`Sfrrrl1`s, PATENT `Y fausses onsV MASK csius'frlinv William E. Gross, '.oppa, Mdr Application February 4, 1942`|Serial No. 4211495?` n i u 8 claims.` (C1. 18s- 44) ,I I Y (Granted vundef-'the act of March 3, 1883,'asf M y This invention relates generally to protective f equipment'7 and particularly to apparatus for the protection of non-combatants against noxious and deleterious gases, fumes, vapors, etc.

In order to render air contaminated with gases and smokes flt forA breathing, it has been and now is the practice to use a gas mask having a canister associated therewith, whereby all inhaled air must first pass through the canister wherein it is filtered and purified. y c

For maximum efficiency ,and effectiveness, canister must be reliable in its action and capable cf delivering to the user substantially pure air; it should be compact and light'inweight so as not to tire the wearer; and it must be cheap to manufacture, durable, convenient to carry, and quickly adjustable to operating condition.

It is, therefore, generally an object of this invention to provide a canister possessing to ashigh a degree as possible, all the qualifications above enumerated. f

One of the specific objects of the inventionv is to materially improverupon the manner of assembling the several elements of th'e canister to the end that soldering of parts together, as a step in the assembling method, is eliminated.A

Another specific object is to improve upon the relative arrangement of the several elements, whereby, without any decrease in the ability of the canister to deliver substantially pure air to the user, resistance to breathing is reduced to aminimum.

A furth'er specific object of the invention is to provide against radial and longitudinal shifting of the chemical container within the casing of the canister.

An additional specific object is to improve materially upon the manner and method of assembling the nozzle to the top of the canister casing.

The invention,`together with the enumerated and oth'er objects thereof, will be best understood from a study of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a gas mask canister embodying the features `of this invention. v

Figure 2 is a horizontal section, taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a bottom plan View.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, it will the er amended April so, 192s; 37o o.A G. 757),

2 be seen that essentially'the canistericomprises an outer casing 5,provided with an inhalation valve 6 mounted on the bottom wall thereof, and a nozzle 'I projecting from the top wall thereof; an" internal chemical container 8 upon which is circumferentially disposed a smoke lter 9; and a central breathing tube Ill in'alignment and communication with'thenozzle 1 and'having associated therewithadust bag II. y f Y The canister so generally described is cornmonly known as a central breathing tube Vcanister, and in the present instance the casing thereof is` waterproof, is formed preferably from metal, and is generally tubular or cylindrical in cross section.

The casing 5 embodies a bottom plate l2 and a top plate I3, respectively,rjinY accordance lwith this invention, crimped into-.tight engagement with the peripheralwall ofthecanister casing. By so fastening or jointing the referred to Walls 'of the casing, the use of solderis L aVOided.

the peripheral wall I5 as shown to provide airtight, leak-proof joints between the walls,with` out recourse to soldering these joints,

vA further advantage over known methods` of sealing the joints between the indicated walls of the chemical container is that by so crimping th'e flanges I8, I9 into engagement with the peripheral wall I5, but a single operation is required to effect the forming of thesejoints and the securing -of the smoke filter 9 in encompassing position on the chemical container. In this connection,it may be noted that the lteryBgis preferablyY in the form of,` a paper strip, suitably treated for the purpose, and given several'turns about the container wall.

edges of the top and/bottom wall flanges I8, I9,

as shownfor positively securing the smoke lter Binposition. j 4

The Walls I6, lx1 of fthe chemical-container have the central portions "thereof dished asat 20, 2|

-to receive the lower `and upper ends respectively of the'central breathing tube 10. lTube IIJ-is Theupper and lower edges of this wrapped filter are secured by the crimped Y tainer.

formed of perforated metal and is open at` its re- Among the salient features of this invention iscasing. At its apex, the conical support 26 is provided with an opening in which is snuglyfitted thevv dished central portion 20 of the container Wall I6. Consequently, container 8 at the bottom thereof seats on the member 26 to ybe held there- Vby against radial movement, and with Vthe the position of the dust lbag Il relative to fthecentral breathing tube IIJ. Heretofore, ithas 'always been the practice to sleeve this lba'gorto the tube, thereby positioning the former exteriorly of the latter. The main difiicultyv attending the having of the dust bag on the 'outside of the tube isY the increase of resistanceto breathing resulting from the Ybag/beingY compressed against the tube by the chemicals vI4 inthe container 8. Y

It may perhaps appear to bean obvious expedient 'to locate' the dust bag as now proposed, Within the breathing tube to avoid the difficulty above noted with reference to the usual practice. However, it must be borne in mind that one of the essential functions of this dust bag is to substantially seal'y the breathing -tube against the entrance Vof the granular chemicals thereinto. The problem then to Abe solved for advantageously placing the dust bag interiorly of the'tube was to preserve this sealing effect of the bag. This prob1emwas partially solved by providing the aforementioned dished central portions in ythe top and bottom walls I'I, I6 of the chemical con- Yet there remained the necessity of securing the bag taut if the desired low resistance to breathing was t belhad.

I have 'found that without materially adding to Y cost or diiculty of assembly, thedesired efficacy of the bag Vwas not only preserved but greatly enhanced by forming the bag into an open-end tube exceeding in length the length of the breathing tube; Upon locating thev bag within thetube, the 'surplus or extended-ends thereof rare-turned back over the extremities of the tube and vto the outer side thereof. Next, tight-fitting caps 24, 25 are telescopically fitted over the ends of Vthe breathing tube and serve to secure `the ends of the bag in position, that is, with the bag in the taut condition lining the breathing .tube as shown.

. Thus the dust bag is held against being compressed against the wall of the tube and adverseltr affecting ,breathing resistance. AtV the same time, the tube is elfectively sealed against the entrance of any granules of the chemical purifying agent I4. Moreover, it is not necessary to solder the caps in place, and the caps function as baiiles so that the puried air must Dass Ythrough the perforations in the area of the Wall of the breathing tube that is exposed between Y the confronting ends of the skirt portions ofthe ing on the vbottom plate I2 at the Ajoint between said bottom wall and the peripheral wall of the casing.

crimped joint between walls If and.I1 held seated in a circular groove 27 provided'on the inner or under face of the top plate I3 of outerV *casing 5 to secure the chemical container against longitudinal displacement Within the canister The bottom plate 'I2`r of the canisterV casing 5 has an opening therein in which is positioned the inlet valve 6 comprising a plate28 having open- `ings 29 therein for the passage of inspired air,

and a rubber flap valve disc-39 for normally Vclosing these', openings and secured to plate 28 Jby a central rivet 3 I f The path of air or gases entering andleaving the kcanister is indicated byarrows. The .-air or gas mixture enters by way of the just described inlet valve andpasses through the perforations in support 26, then successively through the filter 9 which serves to remove .the smoke particles, the chemicals I4, such as activated 'charcoal and soda'lime, which cleanse the air of injurious gases, and the dus-t bag III Which ispreferably of thin dust filtering material; the purified air leaving the canister through the breathing tube I0 and nozzle 1. K

The nozzle 1, in accordance with :this invention, is advantageously secured to the'vtop I3 of i nozzle 1. is sleeved `onto the flange 35 rimming all around to provide an air-tightA joint therethe aforementioned opening in the canister wall I3, and is soldered to the upper edge of said flange between. The nipple 3| is then spot soldered to the nozzle I at `preferably three points "spaced circumferentially ofthe nipple. Y,

A canister embodying the'herein disclosed features, in addition to being thoroughly reliable in delivering to the'user substantially pure air is light in weight and quickly attachable to the face piece of the gas mask. And while particularly 'adapted for use inV associationfwith face pieces for providing gas masks found most suitable forV non-combatants, particularly Women and children, the canister of this invention is not limited to such use, but may be employed to advantage Vwherever the need of such might exist.

It is also to be understood that-the herein shown and described preferred embodiment of the invention should be construed as illustrative. and

ynot by way of limitationL'since many variations will occur to those skilled Vin the art and within tion with the air outlet, granular. air-purifyingk material around said tubea dust bag v.lining inside said 'breathing tube and having open end portions sleeved on the tube at the respective o'pposite ends of the latter, and cap elements fitted on said ends of the breathing tube. f

2. A canister for gas maskscomprising an outer casing having an air inlet and an air outlet, air filtering and purifying means within the casing and embodying a peripheral wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall, said top wall and said bottom wall, respectively, having a dished -central portion, said top wall having an opening in the dished portion thereof and in registry with'the air outlet, a breathing tube having open ends disposed in the dished portions of said top and bottom walls, granular air-purifying material around said tube and a dust bag lining inside the breathing tube and having exposed ends sleeved on the tube at the said open ends of the tube.

3. A gas mask canister comprising an outer casing having an air inlet and an air outlet; air ltering and purifying means within the casing and embodying a container having a peripheral wall, a bottom wall, and a top wall, said bottom wall and said top wall respectively, having a central dished portion, the top wall having also an opening in the dished portion thereof in registry with said air outlet; a, breathing tube having open ends disposed in the dished portions of said top and bottom walls; a dust bag, tubLLlar in form Y and open at its ends, having an intermediate portion within the breathing tube and externally disposed end portions sleeved on the tube at the ends of the latter; and caps telescoped on said ends of the tube and embracing said ends of the dust bag, the cap on the upper end of said tube having an opening therein affording directvcommunication between the tube and air outlet.

4. A canister for gas masks comprising an outer casing having an air inlet and an air outlet, a chemical container within said casing, granular air purifying material in said container, a breathing tube disposed within the container and in communication with said air outlet, and a dust bag lining said breathing tube andprotected by said tube against pressure-exerting contact of the granular contents of the container therewith, whereby the low breathing resistance of the dust bag is maintained.

5. An outer casing for gas mask canisters having a wall provided therein with an opening and a flange rimming said opening, a nipple disposed in the opening and havingy an end projected beyond the flange, and a nozzle sleeved on the flange; said nozzle being soldered to the outer edge of the flange to provide an air-tight joint therebetween, and also being spot soldered to said end of the nipple at circumferentially spaced points.

6. A gas mask canister having an outer casing provided with a wall having an opening therein, an inner container having a, wall in spaced opposed relation to the mentioned Wall of the outer casing and provided with an opening in registry with the rst mentioned opening, and a nozzle accommodating nipple fitted in the registering openings and having an inner end portion swaged onto the mentioned wall of the inner-container.

7. In an air purifying canister, an outer casing having a wall provided therein with an opening, a ange on the wall and rimming the opening, air filtering and purifying means within the casing and including a container having a wall provided with an opening in registry with the rst mentioned opening, a nipple having one end thereof projected through the opening in the outer casing wall beyond the flange, and an opposite end extended into said container and swaged to the mentioned wall of said container about the opening therein, and a nozzle sleeved on said flange and soldered thereto and to the first mentioned end of the nipple..

8. A canister for gas masks comprising an outer casing having an air inlet at a bottom part and an air outlet at a top part thereof, within the casing a, chemical container having a filling of a granular air-purifying material and a bottom wall, a breathing tube having a thin dust-filtering lining'centrally disposed within the container, said breathing tube being in communication with the air outlet at its upper end and extending to the bottom of the chemical container where it has a closed lower end fixed in place, and a support interposed between the bottom of the casing and the bottom of the chemical container restraining the latter against casual longitudinal and radial displacement within the casing while allowing air to flow from the inlet into the chemical container.

WILLIAM E. GROSS. 

